Military Uniforms

The Turkestani military have four basic types of uniform, which are worn in different circumstances by different members of the armed forces. The four types are:

Ceremonial

Full Dress

Battledress

Combat

In addition there is the special uniform worn by those of the rank of Tarxan (Field Marshall), which comes in Ceremonial and Full Dress variants.

Ceremonial Uniform

The Ceremonial uniform is worn by Turkestan's ceremonial guards: the Wind Riders special regiment and those who perform guard duty at the Ilxan's palace, Ibrahım Enver Military Academy in Yası and other high-profile duties. It is a modern reproduction of an ancient warrior-champion's battle gear, complete with helmet, small breastplate, sword or mace, shield, and bow or spear. The Wind Riders especially are encouraged to develop proficiency with these ancient weapons, and more than one criminal foolish enough to pull a gun on a police officer within sight of a Wind Rider has been taken down by a well-placed arrow.

Full Dress Uniform

Full Dress uniforms of the three services

Full Dress uniform is used on most formal occasions; it is a blended military variation of Turkestani folk costume, complete with çapan (long coat) and tübeteykä (small round hat also known in the various Turkic dialects as dopa and taqıa).

The tübeteykä is the standard military uniform headgear that is not a helmet. Particular ethnic regiments, however, often dispense with the tübeteykä, especially in winter, in favour of a more typical provincial hat. Qazaq regiments replace the tübeteykä with a tailed fox-fur hat called a tımaq, Türkümän regiments with the traditional Türkümän telpek, and regiments from Kırğızstan wear their traditional qalpaq.

The picture shows the "standard" Full Dress uniform, with tübeteykä. Enlisted personnel lack the patterning on the lower sleeves and have their rank insignia worn on the shoulder.

"Battledress" Uniform

Battledress is a half-dress uniform which is worn as a standard day uniform in a variety of contexts. It is similar to the Full Dress uniform, but is simpler, often with a shorter jacket replacing the long çapan. There is a lot more variation in Battledress between the three services, and there are different gradations of battledress worn in different contexts. More formal settings, for instance, require a çapan, whereas less formal, more workmanlike contexts would expect a short jacket. The Turkestani Military Uniform Code lays out rules for which occasions require what variation of uniform; the section on Battledress uniforms is particularly complex, with the varying gradations of battledress spelled out in military detail.

Combat Uniform

"Combat Uniform" is a term used by the Turkestani military to denote the actual fighting gear of the various services: camouflage fatigues for the Army, flight suit for pilots of the Air Force, both of these plus an informal battledress combination for the Guards, depending on whether they are serving in the ground, air or naval component of that force. It also includes things like cold- and hot-weather survival gear, SCUBA equipment and the like.

Tarxan's Dress Uniform

Tarxan's Battledress

Those elevated to the rank of Tarxan (Field Marshall) are permitted to wear a special uniform in Full Dress and some Battledress contexts, which is the same regardless of the service they are serving with. The helmet with horsetails is the particular distinguishing mark of the Tarxan's battledress, and is even worn in a few combat contexts (example: aboard a military airship).

More formal dress uniforms are even more decorative, but retain the white colour which is reserved for the dress uniforms of those elevated to the highest military rank.